THE OPPORTUNITY
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, operationally minded General Manager to join a well-established Western Canadian agricultural retailer. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the General Manager will bring a proven track record of driving profitable growth within a multi-site retail, agricultural, distribution, or consumer products environment. They will possess strong financial acumen with the ability to analyze business performance, optimize margins, manage working capital, and make data-driven decisions that support sustainable growth. Equally important is experience leading inventory and supply chain functions, ensuring appropriate product availability, inventory productivity, and distribution efficiency while balancing customer service, operational effectiveness, and financial performance.
This role requires a leader who can balance daily operational accountability with longer-term business improvement initiatives while ensuring strong execution across stores, the home office, and distribution operations. The successful candidate will play a critical role in strengthening operational consistency across the business, improving visibility into performance, and establishing a stable, disciplined, and repeatable operating model that supports long-term success.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate is a hands-on operator with a track record of improving performance in multi-unit retail or comparable hands-on operating environments where systems, teams, or performance were not yet fully optimized.
They are comfortable operating with imperfect systems, incomplete data, and evolving structures while maintaining accountability for results and advancing the business. The successful candidate possesses a practical, hands-on leadership style combined with the ability to maintain overall operational control and create clarity and alignment in environments where roles, expectations, and processes are still developing.
The successful candidate demonstrates the ability to strengthen team capability, including developing leaders and making difficult changes where required. They spend significant time in stores and in the market, make clear and timely decisions, including people and structural decisions, move forward without complete information, respect existing culture while raising standards, and focus on practical execution rather than theory.
Experience in multi-unit retail or similar hands-on operating environments is required, along with demonstrated experience inheriting and improving an existing team, direct involvement in improving operational and financial performance, and exposure to buying, merchandising, or inventory decisions. Experience operating in rural environments and experience working in environments where systems or support functions were being built or strengthened are considered assets.
THE ORGANIZATION
Peavey Mart is a proudly Canadian retailer serving farmers, ranchers, acreage owners, homeowners, and rural communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Headquartered in Red Deer County, Alberta, the company offers a broad range of products, including farm and ranch supplies, workwear, tools, hardware, automotive products, lawn and garden equipment, pet and animal care products, fencing, welding supplies, and seasonal merchandise.
Today, Peavey Mart operates a growing network of retail locations across Alberta and Saskatchewan, and continues to build on a well-recognized brand with deep roots in rural Canada. The organization is focused on delivering practical products, knowledgeable service, and a strong customer experience while building a stable, disciplined, and sustainable operating model for future growth.
Peavey Mart maintains a strong connection to the communities it serves and has earned a reputation as a trusted destination for customers seeking products that support rural, agricultural, acreage, and country lifestyles.
For more information, please visit: www.peaveymart.com.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Deliver consistent financial performance across all locations, including cash flow management, inventory management, cost discipline, and resource prioritization.
- Establish clear operating discipline and performance measurement across the business.
- Foster strong leadership capability at the store and regional level, home office, and distribution centre.
- Make timely, sound decisions on team structure, priorities, and resource allocation.
- Own and improve inventory productivity, including turnover, sell-through, and margin performance.
- Build a stable, repeatable operating model that supports future growth.
- Hold full accountability for daily operations, including team structure, resource allocation, and performance management.
- Work closely with the Board to maintain alignment on priorities, provide clear operating visibility, and support timely decision-making while retaining accountability for execution.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience, including responsibility for operational and financial performance across multiple locations.
- Bachelor’s degree in business, commerce, operations management, retail management, or a related discipline. An MBA or equivalent executive education is considered an asset.
- Experience in multi-unit retail or similar hands-on operating environments.
- Demonstrated experience inheriting and improving an existing team.
- Direct involvement in improving operational and financial performance.
- Exposure to or involvement in buying, merchandising, or inventory decisions.
- Experience operating in rural environments is considered an asset.
- Experience working in environments where systems or support functions were being built or strengthened is considered an asset.
KEY COMPETENCIES
- Demonstrates strong financial judgment, including the ability to manage trade-offs, manage cash flow, and embed financial discipline into daily operations, strategic decision-making, and resource allocation.
- Possesses a solid understanding of retail economics, including inventory management, merchandising, customer experience, and seasonal product dynamics.
- Strengthens team capability by developing leaders, fostering accountability, and making difficult decisions where required.
- Creates clarity and alignment in environments where roles, expectations, and processes are still developing.
- Maintains a practical, hands-on leadership style combined with the ability to maintain overall operational control.
- Establishes consistent operating standards, performance measurement, and decision-making discipline across the business.
- Operates effectively with imperfect systems, incomplete data, and evolving structures while maintaining focus on execution and results.
- Makes clear and timely decisions, including people, structural, operational, and resource allocation decisions.
- Respects existing culture while raising standards and improving consistency and predictability of results across locations.
- Builds stable and repeatable operating models that support sustainable growth, stronger leadership capability, and improved organizational performance.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
SANDY JACOBSON | T: 780.944.1327 | E: [email protected] | www.richardsonsearch.ca
